Did They Forget the Lesson of 'Hinnamno'? Pohang Steelworks Halted Due to Cable Damage

Typhoon Hinnamnor Damage Last September Followed by Partial Shutdown Due to Fire
POSCO States No Disruption to Operations or Product Supply Expected

On the morning of the 23rd, a fire broke out at POSCO Pohang Steelworks in Dongchon-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk, engulfing the area in thick black smoke. Currently, most factories within the steelworks are not operating due to a power outage.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

POSCO Pohang Steelworks, known as the heart of South Korea's steel industry, temporarily halted factory operations due to a fire. Last September, POSCO and the citizens of Pohang had to breathe a sigh of relief after the blast furnace was stopped for the first time in 54 years since its establishment due to Typhoon Hinnamnor.

Fire extinguished in 2 hours and 10 minutes... No casualties reported

According to POSCO and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Fire Headquarters, around 7:07 a.m. that day, a fire broke out in the cables near Blast Furnace No. 2 at POSCO Pohang Steelworks in Dongchon-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang. The fire department mobilized 33 fire trucks and over 100 firefighters from the 119 Special Response Team and the Pohang, Gyeongju, and Yeongcheon fire stations, extinguishing the fire in about 2 hours and 10 minutes. No fire mobilization orders or emergency response stages were issued. So far, no casualties or damage to residents have been confirmed.

After the cables caught fire, POSCO completely stopped using by-product gas as a precaution against a larger fire. POSCO uses by-product gas generated as a byproduct in the production process to generate power and supply electricity within the factory. With the suspension of by-product gas usage, power generation decreased, leading to a larger scale blackout within the steelworks. Following the fire and blackout, operations in many factories within the steelworks were temporarily halted. Pohang Steelworks has separate factories for processes such as steelmaking and steel refining. The police confirmed that operations were stopped due to power outages in four out of five POSCO zones.

In 2021, POSCO used a total of 24,492 GW of electricity (combined for Pohang and Gwangyang Steelworks), accounting for 4% of South Korea’s total power consumption. Due to such high power consumption, POSCO generates a significant portion of its own electricity besides external power supply. The largest portion, 16,013 GW, comes from self-generated power using by-product gas produced during the steelmaking process. LNG (liquefied natural gas) power generation accounted for 2,979 GW, and externally purchased electricity was 2,847 GW. After the fire, a POSCO official stated, "Overall, about 30% of the electricity used in the factory is supplied by Korea Electric Power Corporation, and about 70% comes from by-product gas power generation." The temporary shutdown of the factory due to the fire and blackout was caused by the interruption of self-generated power using by-product gas, which led to a decrease in electricity supply.

On the morning of the 23rd, POSCO Pohang Steelworks in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, was covered in smoke due to a fire. The police and fire authorities announced that the initial extinguishing was completed around 8:50 a.m. that day.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Power generation decreases as by-product gas usage stops... Some equipment halted due to blackout

After the blackout temporarily halted equipment operation, a so-called venting operation was conducted, burning off by-product gas outside all at once. A company official said, "If the venting operation is not performed, dangerous situations such as explosions could occur inside the factory." During this process, the area around the factory was covered in black smoke, causing anxiety among many Pohang citizens. The black smoke was visible several kilometers away. POSCO stated that the flames visible from outside were due to the venting operation and not from the fire itself. However, the cause of the cable damage near Blast Furnace No. 2, the initial ignition point, remains unknown. Fire authorities and police are investigating the exact extent of the damage and the cause of the fire.

POSCO expects no significant disruption to overall operations and product supply due to this fire. Some factories that had stopped operations due to the blackout resumed using emergency generators. Equipment temporarily halted due to reduced electricity will be sequentially restarted. Currently, the blast furnace and FINEX (powdered iron ore-based molten iron production) plants are reported to be operating normally. A POSCO official explained, "Out of eight power generation units, five have started operating, and currently, the blast furnace and FINEX are running normally."

POSCO, which suffered unprecedented damage last year when the blast furnace stopped due to Typhoon Hinnamnor, has again experienced partial factory operation halts due to this fire. Last year, the Pohang Steelworks suffered flooding damage with water and soil filling underground areas tens of meters deep due to the typhoon and heavy rains. The estimated damage amounted to 2 trillion won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.